Pathfinder Society Playtest Scenarios

Wednesday, July 25, 2018

One of the advantages of this team's creating organized play scenarios for the better part of a decade (it surprises me that I can truthfully say that) is that we're now very familiar with how Pathfinder Society scenarios are laid out, how we word certain things, and countless other nuances. Introducing Starfinder Society gave us (especially Thurston Hillman) lots of opportunities to tweak our models to fit a new game system, and in many ways it prepared us for the changes we've made in Pathfinder's Second Edition. Sure, some of these are editorial minutiae like no longer splitting whether we use the preposition "on" or "to" when referring to bonuses on rolls versus bonuses to static values (e.g. AC or CMD). Others are more apparent, such as how we arrange encounters, where we place tactics, and how we calculate treasure. Learning these new styles and adapting them to organized play has been an experience, and we're hoping that this is a first step toward presenting great scenarios in the upcoming campaign.

One of the most unexpected updates for us was how Second Edition shapes those Knowledge checks that appear at the beginning of most scenarios (right after the adventure briefing). In the current edition's Pathfinder Society scenarios, these provide increasingly specific, esoteric, and/or useful information based on the result of a PC's Knowledge check. Some of Second Edition's underlying math, the different levels of success, and other factors make it so that this start-of-scenario tradition has to evolve, and Michael, Linda, Mark, and I brainstormed lots of different approaches to handling these opening skill checks to learn more. We found that there's not one perfect solution in theory, so we've used a different model in each of the playtest adventures releasing in August. As we launch these scenarios, we'll also be posting survey links to solicit your feedback. As you can imagine, we're eager to hear how each of these information-gathering systems worked for your table.

Illustration by Kenneth Camaro

But hey, that's enough nuts and bolts. If you'd like to know more about the Pathfinder Society playtest process, check out the Organized Playtest blog. Let's dive into the stories!

The early public previews of Pathfinder's second edition have relied on two particular adventures. Most of our playtesters so far have experienced our demo, in which the PCs clash with a cruel Asmodean zealot and his small army of undead. Beginning at PaizoCon, we also debuted Pathfinder Society Playtest #1: The Rose Street Revenge as a lottery event that's also appeared at Origins and PaizoCon UK. In the wake of Absalom's grand manumission event(kudos, Liberty's Edge faction!), the city's former slaves have found new homes there as the newest free citizens. However, someone seems to hold a grudge. Known as the Rose Street Killer, this villain has systematically killed or abducted these freed people, and the latest victim is a recent recruit of the Pathfinder Society. In this series of four quests for 1st-level characters, the PCs follow exciting leads in order to unmask the killer and put an end to the attacks once and for all. Not only do these adventures involve a visit to the Society's unlikely kobold allies beneath Absalom, but there's also a chance to explore the Puddles, a flooded district where volunteer Muckrucker guards (like the one illustrated here by Kenneth Camaro) keep the peace. We expect this quest series by Leo Glass, Thurston Hillman, Joe Pasini, and Linda Zayas-Palmer will be many players' first and fun introduction to Second Edition.

Illustration by Josef Kucera

Linda took the lead on our next scenario, so let's hear from her directly.

The first of our offerings for 5th-level characters is Pathfinder Playtest Scenario #2: Raiders of Shrieking Peak, by developer Luis Loza. When Pathfinder agent Inisa Ardaali recovered a relic from Iomedae's ascension, she took every precaution to get it back to Absalom safely. Instead of sailing directly into Absalom's harbor, she landed in nearby Diobel and hired a nondescript caravan to cover the rest of the distance overland. Despite her preparations, however, her caravan did not reach its destination. They fell prey to an unexpected group of bandits, leaving the survivors to limp back to Diobel empty-handed. The PCs pick up the robbers' trail and set off into the perilous wilderness. Will they forge new alliances with those they find along they way or let their blades do the talking? It's up to you to decide. How would you respond to this fellow swooping down out of the sky, as illustrated by Josef Kucera?

Illustration by Javier Charro

Want more 5th-level adventure possibilities? Look no further than Pathfinder Society Playtest #3: Arclord's Envy by Lyz Liddell. This adventure does many things we've always dreamed of: it's a story that takes place in Nex, resoundingly reflects its setting in the encounters, and at long last shows off the Nexus House (the oldest Society lodge outside of Absalom)! What's more, we've introduced the lodge's three caretakers, most notably the esteemed gnome Sebnet Sanserkoht (illustrated here by Javier Charro). The 5th-level PCs are in charge of a daring whodunit that hinges on a recently discovered text written by the archmage Nex himself. This is no mundane investigation, though—not in a capital city run by wizards, maintained by elementals, and guarded by a pair of titanic golems! Because it's possible to replay these playtest scenarios for credit, this scenario includes some flexibility for the GM to vary parts of the investigation and the culprits themselves in order to keep players on their toes every time.

And don't forget that we'll also have a 10th-level scenario coming out in September! In the meantime, get ready for three great adventures to kick off the playtest at Gen Con in style!

(And surveys. Don't forget the surveys!)

John Compton
Organized Play Lead Developer

Mid-Season Faction Updates

Wednesday, December 13, 2017

Despite their intended role as a secondary feature, there's no doubt that factions have become a central component of Pathfinder Society Roleplaying Guild—so much so that we made them a key fixture of the overarching narrative in Season 9, the Year of Factions' Favor. This season's a time for us to explore these factions' ongoing stories, and as is true for any story, the characters grow, change, and sometimes disappear entirely. In the past, we've handled most of these changes at the beginning of a new season. Not so in Season 9. We've been working toward a mid-season update in our storyline for some time, and I'd like to share three major developments with you.

Liberty's Edge

Back in July 2017 we launched the Leaders in Liberty contest, inviting you to send us a backstory for a rising star in the Liberty's Edge faction. We were blown away by the submissions and posted our top five for you to vote for your favorite. With your help and that of the winning contestant Sam Sampson, we formally introduced Karisa Starsight into the campaign. Most recently we shared that Liberty's Edge was in need of an interim leader, with the two leading candidates being Karisa Starsight and the halfling Tamrin Credence. Once again, you the public cast your votes and selected Tamrin Credence!

Three things in particular struck me over the course of these contests. First, these are a lot of fun, and I'm interested in exploring ways to include more contests in the future. Second, the voting between Karisa and Tamrin was quite close, showing that both of these figures really gained traction with sizeable portions of the audience. Third, the commentary (in-character and out) in the discussion threads provided a great insight into why each of the candidates resonated and what you hoped to see in the future. What was one of the most common suggestions? Co-leadership. Although I anticipate Tamrin will be the leader of the Liberty's Edge faction, it's clear that Karisa should play an active role going forward (much as Aaqir al'Hakam and Guaril Karela share management despite the former being the final arbiter).

Illustration by Kenneth Camaro

Either way, expect to see the next installation of the Liberty's Edge story in May at PaizoCon 2018!

Scarab Sages

The Scarab Sages came into being almost four years ago, formally replacing the old Osirion faction in mid-2014. The premise was pretty simple: recover a host of gemstone artifacts that store the memories of long-dead sages, recruit strong minds to host these memories, and revive the ancient order of Jeweled Sages. Ever since the Destiny of the Sands series in Season 5, PCs have exceled at doing just that, and I have no doubt that we could continue doing so for another four years. While some of our narratives benefit from such extended arcs, we decided that the Scarab Sages' story would be strongest with a decisive end. How it ends—whether the Jeweled Sages thrive as an ally of the Society or whether they fade into obscurity—depends on you. Matt Duval played such an instrumental role in writing earlier Scarab Sages scenarios that I invited him back to bring things to a close in Pathfinder Society Scenario #9-07: Salvation of the Sages. Be sure to check those reporting checkboxes—our hope is to have a canonical outcome by the end of Season 9.

So what does this mean for the future? At the end of Season 9, the Scarab Sages faction retires, and current members will need to change to a different faction. As noted on page 28 of the current Pathfinder Society Roleplaying Guild Guide, "any characters affected by faction retirement can retain any faction-based benefits but can't purchase new items specific to the retired faction. Such characters must choose a new faction at no cost prior to receiving credit for any further scenarios." In addition, members of the Scarab Sages faction will keep any benefits earned on Scarab Sages Faction Journal Cards, but once the faction's retired, they won't be able to fulfill further goals.

In the meantime, I encourage you to experience the Scarab Sages storyline in full in case you've missed a few adventures. Keep in mind that the Scarab Sages was also the first faction whose storyline we incorporated directly into the Pathfinder Adventure Card Guild, specifically in Season 3, the Season of Plundered Tombs. In chronological order, these are:

• Pathfinder Society Scenario #5-12: Destiny of the Sands, Part 1: A Bitter Bargain (Tier 1-5)
• Pathfinder Society Scenario #5-15: Destiny of the Sands, Part 2: Race to Seeker's Folly (Tier 1-5)
• Pathfinder Society Scenario #5-16: Destiny of the Sands, Part 3: Sanctum of the Sages (Tier 3-7)
• Pathfinder Society Scenario #6-04: Beacon Below (Tier 7-11)
• Pathfinder Society Scenario #6-19: Test of Tar Kuata (Tier 3-7)
• Pathfinder Society Scenario #7-04: The Ironbound Schism (Tier 7-11)
• Pathfinder Society Scenario #7-11: Ancients' Anguish (Tier 7-11)
• Pathfinder Society Adventure Card Guild, Season 3 (Especially #3-3: In Search of a Sage and #3-4: Tomb of the Godless Host)
• Pathfinder Society Scenario #8-17: Refugees of the Weary Sky (Tier 7-11)
• Pathfinder Society Scenario #9-04: The Unseen Inclusion (Tier 1-5)
• Pathfinder Society Scenario #9-07: Salvation of the Sages (Tier 7-11)

So that might leave a few of your characters in need of a new faction. Sounds like you'd appreciate a new option, right?

The Concordance of Elements

Pathfinder Society's factions cover a huge range of character concepts quite nicely, particularly for PCs who are interested in history, knowledge, and exploration. That said, the campaign's always struggled to accommodate one particular class: druids. I've struggled with this issue, as on most days the Pathfinder Society's interest in nature boils down to "that thing full of brambles and mud that we cross to reach the abandoned temple." Sure, the Society has its share of botanists, zoologists, and ecologically minded adventurers, yet that's not something that lends itself to sustainable storytelling. On top of that, there are already enough druid circles in the setting that we didn't want to add just one more to the multitude. No, we wanted something that we could make our own and have it stand out.

As we were planning out Season 8, we realized we had an excellent opportunity to introduce just such a group, an extraplanar operation known as the Concordance of Elements (or just the Concordance for short). The Concordance isn't your typical "nature for nature's sake" druid faction. Instead, it seeks out elemental imbalances, planar breaches, and extraordinary natural phenomena to close breaches, reestablish natural order, and study the multiverse in all its splendor. To fail in this is to allow rampant growth to choke out all life, stand by as one plane's power snuffs out the life of another, or watch as the cosmos spins out of alignment. While there are plenty of ways in which this fulfills the classic Nature Character's desires, I think you'll find that the Concordance tends to slap druids and fey on the wrist with some regularity. We're excited to announce the Concordance faction, and a blog by Linda Zayas-Palmer should appear on paizo.com a little later talking about the Concordance in more detail.

In the meantime, know that we'll be making the faction a playable option early in 2018, complete with new faction traits, a new Faction Journal Card, and a faction-related scenario due out in February. As has been the case with the introduction of other factions, characters will have the option to switch to the Concordance without spending any Prestige Points.

John Compton
Organized Play Lead Developer

Leaders in Liberty 2

Wednesday, November 15, 2017

Back in July, the organized play team launched an exciting contest called Leaders in Liberty to name and detail a new character in Pathfinder Society Roleplaying Guild canon. We read the entries, narrowed it down to our top picks, and invited the community to vote on the best candidate. In mid October we had our winner, Karisa Starsight as presented by Sam Sampson!

When we first launched the contest, we were a little coy about exactly how this character might feature in the campaign. We were, after all, several weeks away from releasing Pathfinder Society Scenario #9-02: A Case of Missing Persons, which provides considerably more context. If you haven't played it yet, I both strongly encourage that you do so, and I will be providing only the slimmest spoilers (you can see more in the spoil-tagged section below). Namely, Major Colson Maldris is not currently available to provide the Liberty's Edge faction the necessary guidance and oversight. While this faction is likely one of the best equipped to operate without a leader, we want to bring in someone who can not only provide leadership in the difficult time, but also guide the faction's vision and steer its reforms in the wake of Maldris's rather spotty legacy.

Pathfinder Society Scenario #9-02 Spoiler:

Major Colson Maldris has gone missing, and it seems he's enlisted some very questionable allies. Without an appointed leader, the Liberty's Edge faction needs someone to keep the operation running smoothly and coordinate the hunt for Maldris.

That's right, we're asking you to help pick a faction leader.

We have two candidates, whose backstories I'll summarize below along with a snapshot of their strengths and style. The first is Leaders in Liberty contest winner Karisa Starsight, who you can read about in more detail in this September blog. The second is Tamrin Credence, a halfling smuggler and freelance freedom fighter. Let's meet them both.

Illustration by Tom Ventre

Karisa Starsight

The slaver Kolm Redarax found the infant Karisa aboard a derelict Bonuwat ship, and he was so taken by her unexplained presence and strikingly blue eyes that he adopted her as his daughter. She worked hard aboard that ship, tending to the slaves her adoptive father shuttled from port to port. Whereas he saw these souls as chattel, she quietly grew to respect and pity them. As she reached adulthood, Karisa struggled between her love and loyalty for her father and the plights of the people he bought and sold.

Several years ago, Andoren privateers known as the Gray Corsairs assaulted their ship, subduing the crew and freeing the slaves. When the Corsairs' captain was on the verge of slaying Redarax, Karisa intervened, swearing her own life, service, and freedom to Andoran in exchange for his life. Not want to condemn the young woman to anything resembling slavery, the captain provided a different offer: she could instead apprentice to an upstanding Eagle Knight, and Redarax would live out his sentence in an Andoren prison. Karisa eagerly accepted.

Her mentor was none other than Major Colson Maldris, and she has excelled as his aide. Over the past year, her duties have more resembled those of a steward, overseeing some of the Liberty's Edge faction's operations while Maldris traveled farther afield. Even so, there's a side of Maldris that she's only now uncovering as she tries to find his current whereabouts and holds together the initiatives he set in motion. All the while she wonders at the irony that no matter his morals, Karisa's father is in chains while she promotes liberty in the Inner Sea region and beyond.

Strengths: Karisa Starsight has a much more intimate familiarity with the faction's operations, which inclines her toward making changes and executing missions "within the system" while also watching for hypocrisies that undermine the faction's goals. She has solid connections within the Eagle Knights without being one herself. She's also the more self-reflective candidate, likely to examine the faction's moral pillars and assess how the faction could do better. Even so, her childhood on the seas leaves her ready to tackle threats head-on when needed.

---

Illustration by Kenneth Camaro

Tamrin Credence

Trained as a sommelier, butler, and shopping assistant, the halfling now known as Tamrin Credence spent his first 26 years as a Chelish slave, albeit a well-treated one. When a tiller (a member of the halfling liberation group called the Bellflower Network) infiltrated the estate and laid plans to lead a few halfling slaves to freedom, Tamrin made a counter-offer: he would create a distraction so the tiller could escape with twice as many souls. The plan worked, albeit at a cost. By the time the tiller returned to lead him out of Cheliax, the halfling butler had received many scars for his deception.

Tamrin Credence is a self-styled name that the halfling adopted in the decade since, both to distance him emotionally from his subjugated past and to create a new identity that wouldn't lead to his recapture. He's continued to assist the Bellflower Network as a spy and supplier, often leading him into dangerous territory or treacherous relationships. Although he's infiltrated and worked with the Aspis Consortium and Cheliax's port authorities to this end, his most infamous rivalry is that with Zarta Dralneen, whom he regularly undermined while she served Cheliax as that nation's liaison to the Pathfinder Society. Only once she fell from Cheliax's good graces, suffered unforgiveable offenses by her former allies, and sought refuge with the Society did the two agents begin finding common ground. They've now worked together on coordinating several missions, though years of thwarting each other's ambitions leave them prone to verbally sniping at each other over unresolved gripes they're yet to bury.

Tamrin's experience with the Liberty's Edge faction is modest, having only worked with Major Colson Maldris a few times before the former began more concerted collaboration in the past 18 months. Even so, he's a proud "liberator of humanoid assets" with criminal and business contacts in dozens of cities. What he lacks in faction experience, he makes up for in gutsiness, survivability, cunning, and a willingness to lead from the front as needed.

Strengths: Tamrin Credence is a pragmatic individual who doesn't mind breaking a few unreasonable rules if he can mitigate the harm to innocent bystanders and maximize the benefit for oppressed people. He's witnessed the dark underbelly of several infamous operations firsthand, and he knows that no matter how seductive those groups might seem at times, they're ultimately immoral. These experiences have left him hardened against corruption, and he takes a more decisive stance on correcting the faction's embarrassing past misdeeds. He has strong Bellflower Network connections, though he would broaden his agenda considerably if made the leader of Liberty's Edge.

Voting

Voting begins now! Let us know which of these two candidates should step up to lead the Liberty's Edge faction in Major Colson Maldris's absence. You'll have three weeks to pick your favorite candidate, and the winner will be announced on Wednesday, December 13. Our plan is to feature both of these characters at least once, so even the candidate that doesn't receive the most votes will still play a role in a future scenario. We're also looking forward to pursuing more of the Liberty's Edge storyline later in Season 9, discovering just what Maldris has set in motion!

John Compton
Organized Play Lead Developer

Pathfinding to Starfinding

Thursday, August 10, 2017

Since the announcement of the Starfinder Society Roleplaying Guild, us members of the Organized Play team have been getting a lot of questions about the differences between Starfinder Society and Pathfinder Society. So, we agreed that it was probably a good idea to do a blog on some of the major changes. And awaaaaaaaay, we go!

Starship Combat

Let's start with something big. Spoiler Alert: Starfinder has starships. In fact, starship combat is a major part of the Starfinder Core Rulebook, and it's something that the Organized Play team was keen on incorporating into Starfinder Society play. We're aiming to keep starship combat a fairly relevant part of the campaign and look to include such encounters at about a "one out of every four scenarios" ratio. In fact, three of our five Gen Con release events include starship combat.

While Starfinder has robust rules for creating and customizing starships, those rules don't necessarily translate well into an organized play environment. It can sometimes take a lot of time to introduce yourself and your character, let alone spending time customizing a completely new starship for every scenario you play! To alleviate some of this stress, the Starfinder Society Roleplaying Guild employs a duo of robust starship frames that players can select during the course of play: the Drake and the Pegasus. In a scenario involving starship combat, the PCs select one of these two starship frames at the same time they would slot their boons. Once selected, the PCs can further modify the Drake and Pegasus with additional modifications via the starship boon slot.

The Pegasus is a ship in line with Starfinder ideals, as it includes expansion bays that house a science lab and a tech workshop for out-of-combat assistance. It's also a faster ship, capable of quick speeds and easy turning during starship combat. The Drake is a different breed of starship, capable of filling the stars with missiles. We wanted to give players two distinct options: a lighter faster ship with some added expansions, and another ship that was all about taking a beating and retorting with overwhelming firepower. Given that missiles have a limited firing capability, you might want to consider taking a look at the Abundant Ammunition boon we previewed in an earlier blog.

The Organized Play team is excited to see how starship combat turns out in the campaign. John and I have both run playtest games to test out the system, and it really proved to be quick to pick up for our players, but also had a lot of intricacies for players to really dig into. And for those of you who are on the hunt for super unique boons... suffice it to say, I don't think the Drake and Pegasus will be only the available starships in the campaign for very long.

Alignment & Infamy

Alright, let's just get it out of the way right away—you can't play an evil character in the Starfinder Society Roleplaying Guild.

The Organized Play team knows that many players want to dance around the darker ends of the alignment spectrum, but we also know that it can be a real detriment to the enjoyment of other players at the table. One thing Starfinder Society let us experiment with is the idea of letting PCs make ignoble decisions. To that end, the Starfinder Society Roleplaying Guild tracks alignment infractions into a new system that we refer to as Infamy.

A PC can have anywhere from 0 to 3 Infamy. A character starts with 0 Infamy, but that score rises it if the PC partakes in any evil actions. Wanton acts of destruction, murder, and even unsanctioned thievery are all potential sources of Infamy. Since Starfinder lacks an atonement spell, Infamy acts as a means of tracking a character's progression towards evil. Each point takes the PC a step closer to becoming irredeemable and ineligible for future missions within the Starfinder Society Roleplaying Guild. Luckily, Infamy is not permanent, and can be bought off using Fame. The cost for such expenditures is fairly steep (about two scenarios worth of Fame), but some faction boons help assuage the cost. If a PC (NOT player) has 3 Infamy at the end of a scenario, she's barred from participating in the Starfinder Society Roleplaying Guild unless she spends Fame to reduce her Infamy score at the end of the session. If that character can't afford to pay off the Infamy, then that character is permanently retired from play.

Some of you folks out there might be thinking of ways to maximize this system, and you might be thinking "So I can accrue Infamy up to 2 and then just buy off whenever I decide to be a jerk after that?" While this is certainly an option, there is one last part of Infamy that's going to keep the wise PC away from accruing it. Infamy directly impacts PC purchasing power; the more Infamy a PC has, the lower her effective level is for the purpose of acquiring gear. A PC touting 2 Infamy will find that she can only purchase equipment listed on a Chronicle sheet at a reasonable level, while ordinarily available gear suddenly becomes nearly impossible to find!

Like all of our new systems, the Organized Play team is excited to see Infamy in action. Personally, I've been enjoying seeding in some Infamy situations into scenarios, and I think it's entirely possible that we'll end up with NPCs and boons that change based on how much Infamy a PC has collected.

Lightning Round!

Finally, I wanted to give some quick overviews of other pertinent changes between the Pathfinder Society Roleplaying Guild and the Starfinder Society Roleplaying Guild.

Scenario Tags: Each scenario now has a tag, located on the table of contents page, that details some key rules associated with the scenario. This is where you'll be able to tell if a scenario includes starship combat, is repeatable, if it has a faction mission, and several other options!

Registering Characters: The Starfinder Society Roleplaying Guild will use the same player numbers as Pathfinder. The only difference is that your character number will start with in the 700's, such as -701, -702, et cetera.

Adventure Path Play: Since Starfinder Adventure Paths are shorter than their Pathfinder counterparts, the entirety of the Starfinder Adventure Path adventures are sanctioned for Organized Play. Our first sanctioned adventure is Starfinder Adventure Path #1: Incident at Absalom Station, which should be ready in time for Gen Con!

Purchasing: As hinted at above, purchasing works a bit different in Starfinder. Since most equipment is based on item level, PCs will have access to equipment based on their relative level compared to the item. Items found on Chronicle sheets will be accessible sooner than items from the Starfinder Core Rulebook or alternate sources.

That's it for our first Gen Con release previews. We'll be posting a few more in the coming days, so stay tuned!

Thurston Hillman
Starfinder Society Developer

Escape from Dangerous Realms

Monday, March 28, 2016

The spring equinox recently passed, marking the northern hemisphere's transition from dreary winter weather to warmer days. Of course in Seattle, winter's departure means that instead of raining every other day, it has been raining almost every day. Fortunately, there are two new scenarios that you can enjoy with pleasant company as we banish the wintry doldrums and help the Pathfinders' allies escape their own dangerous predicaments.

Venture-Captain Calisro Benarry and Tamrin Credence, heist-planner extraordinaire!

Like the Pacific Northwest, the Gloomspires off the west coast of Garund both see their fair share of precipitation and experience predictable periods of pleasantly navigable weather (okay, perhaps I'm being a little unfair, as Seattle is positively gorgeous in time for PaizoCon). A team of Pathfinders recently returned to the Gloomspires to explore Sevenfingers' tomb, but Venture-Captain Calisro Benarry—illustrated here for the first time—has heard nothing from them since. Fearing they are in need of aid, she has asks the PCs to mount a rescue in Pathfinder Society Scenario #7-19: "Labyrinth of Hungry Ghosts" by Tom Phillips. As in last season's visit to the Gloomspires, Tom has created an adventure rich in atmosphere and steeped in thematically wowing danger. One of my favorite elements of the Gloomspires is that they're Tom's creation, dating back to his 2012 RPG Superstar submission, meaning he has been able to take an especially active role in presenting the site and unveiling its secrets. Linda and I hope you have as much fun playing through them as much as we developing them.

I would also like to recognize Sean Macdonald, who has handled the majority of the Pathfinder Society Roleplaying Guild's custom maps for several years. He does great work overall, yet Linda and I were especially impressed with the visual impact of his cartography for this assignment.

Not all getaways need transpire in the nigh-inaccessible locales, as our third and final installment in the Faithless and Forgotten series shows: "The Infernal Inheritance". An ally of the Society has disappeared, and the Pathfinders have traced him to one of the cruelest facilities in Ostenso: a prison known as the Bloody Nail. Fortunately the Society has the local expertise of the halfling Tamrin Credence, an expert in planning heists and getting out alive. He can get the PCs into the facility, but from there its up to them to evade the security, find the captive, and escape one of Cheliax's most militarized cities. RPG Superstar 2015 finalist Christopher Wasko has composed a great heist with lots of options for a wide range of PCs—a fitting conclusion to this three-part series that contains several big secrets.

In parting, remember that Tonya and I are appearing on the Know Direction podcast on April 6th to answer questions about future campaign developments, including the upcoming seeker arc. We hope to see you there!

John Compton
Pathfinder Society Lead Developer